The postpartum season is such a special and important time in a new mother’s life. After nine months of growing a baby, you are now trying to find your center again.

Your baby is at the top of your priority list during this time, but did you know that you are in need of care right now, too?

It can be such a temptation to believe that as soon as the baby exits your body, you are completely back to how you were before, but that just isn’t the case. Studies have shown that pregnancy can use up to 10% of your body’s mineral stores. Minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Zinc are in depletion when you are postpartum, and that can contribute to a myriad of common-but-not-normal symptoms.

Your emotional needs postpartum are also higher, with hormone spikes and drops that can leave you feeling a little blue and unlike yourself. Not to mention the healing and recovery your body must do after being stretched to its limits for the past 9 months.

Adequate food, sleep, nutrients, and connection are incredibly vital during this season, and you, the mother, need extra special care. Taking some time before the baby arrives to make a plan for your first few weeks as a new mom can be SUCH a helpful tool for preventing things like postpartum depression, anxiety, and exhaustion. 

Here are just a few of our favorite ways to prepare for this special season, both before and after baby.

Pre-Conception Preparation

Starting your journey with a new baby is never something you can fully prepare for. Just like adults, babies are unique individuals who react differently to each situation. You can start yourself on the right foot though, and in doing so be able to manage the unpredictabilities as they come. A wonderful way to kick off your motherhood journey starts long before your baby actually arrives. Taking the time to prepare your body for conception and pregnancy BEFORE actually conceiving is an excellent way to ensure that your body is in optimal condition, making your pregnancy and postpartum process as smooth as possible. 

One of the best and easiest ways to support your body during conception and pregnancy is through food, and making sure you are properly nourished will go a very long way to ensure that your baby is growing and developing just as they should. 

Whole foods such as raw milk, butter, egg yolks, and organ meat are all amazing for preparing your body for pregnancy by providing nutrients such as Zinc, Iron, Vitamin D, and Choline, which are all vital for building a healthy baby. You can also supplement with Organ Capsules, Cod Liver Oil, and Concentrated Butter Oil, which all provide the fatty acids your baby will need to develop a healthy brain, and strong bones. Our product, Adapt, is wonderful for supporting your adrenals during conception, but make sure you talk to your healthcare professional before use in pregnancy. Your adrenals are responsible for regulating cortisol, which is a hormone that is typically connected to stress. Keeping cortisol at healthy levels ensures your baby receives the proper amount, especially later in the pregnancy when the placenta takes over. 

Postpartum Essential #1: Nourishing Foods

Growing a baby is a huge undertaking, and even though the female body was perfectly designed for childbirth, it can still be a massive stress on your body.

One of the best ways to support yourself during these first few months is by nourishing well. Warm soups, teas, broths, and other soft foods are perfect for slowly easing your digestive system back into gear. The rich collagen and gelatin contained in bone broths and stocks help to soothe and coat your stomach, which can sometimes be thrown out of whack after childbirth. 

Ayurvedic foods such as congee, porridge, golden milk, and stewed fruit hug your body from the inside out, promoting healing and strengthening milk supply. Golden Milk is especially prized in other cultures for its digestibility and its warming properties, which help restore calm and energy back into the body.

Make sure you are eating plenty of food, and as often as you are hungry. Every 2-3 hours is a great guideline for maintaining steady blood sugar, strong milk supply, and consistent energy. Some women don’t have a strong appetite immediately postpartum, but even sipping on broths and herbal teas is a great way to begin to restore your energy and mineral supplies. Teas and infusions made from nettle and red raspberry leaf are rich in iron and other minerals, which replenish and restore lost nutrients. 

Postpartum Essential #2: Rest

Most women who have gone through motherhood before will tell you that rest is an elusive thing, especially in those first few weeks of your baby’s life, when they are up and wanting food every couple of hours. Although important, sleep isn’t the only way you can rest, especially during that very intense first month or so of new motherhood.

Making sure you have a strong support system of people to bring you meals, tidy your house, and watch your other children is arguably the biggest tool you could have in your arsenal. When you know that your everyday tasks are being taken care of, you are far more likely to be able to surrender to the deep relaxation and rest your body so desperately needs and craves. 

Having your spouse or friend group set up a meal train once your little one arrives is a great way to clear up that mental space and have a steady stream of help coming through your door, if only just to bring you a meal. Another excellent way to practically allow yourself to rest is to ask your friends and family to pool together and gift you with a housekeeper in lieu of gifts for your baby shower. 

Taking advantage of the short windows in which your newborn sleeps is also a great way to ground yourself and feel human again. Whether you’re sitting down to a mug of warm tea, reading a book, or catching a nap, these small windows of time go a long way to replenish mind, body, and soul. Don’t feel guilty for taking the time to support yourself in this seemingly “unproductive” way; your entire being will thank you for it. 

Postpartum Essential #3: Connect

Emotions and hormones are running high after the birth of a child. You, your spouse, and your other children are all part of this beautiful but massive upheaval of the life you once knew, and it’s normal to feel very overwhelmed. Whether this is your first baby or your fifth, there is always going to be some major adjusting to do, and that is a wonderful thing.

It’s very normal to feel somewhat adrift and unlike yourself after the birth of your baby. With the combination of hormones running through your body, you may be laughing one minute and crying the next, and you may also be feeling a bit emotionally distant from your loved ones, especially your spouse. 

Your relationship with your spouse is an ever-changing relationship, each new life event bringing out a different aspect of each of your characters that can be difficult to adjust to. You might sometimes feel that you are looking at a completely different person from who you married, and you probably are. That is why prioritizing connection is so important.

Spending cozy evenings in, having dinner together, or just taking the time to cherish each other's presence are all ways to start slowly reconnecting as humans and as husband and wife. 

Having weekly check-ins with your spouse is also another great way to keep tabs on your relationship and make sure you are both taking the time to make the other feel loved, seen, and appreciated. 

Conclusion

The postpartum phase is a crazy, blissful, and topsy-turvy time in the life of a mother and everybody close to her. Investing the time to make your transition as smooth as possible is something that you will never regret, and will bless you for years to come <3